Campus restaurant Waterleaf is a suburban oasis

There are hidden gems, and then there are hidden gems. Waterleaf restaurant, for instance, isn't a good restaurant where one wouldn't expect to find it; it's a good restaurant tucked away where you'd never think to look for it.

Waterleaf sits on the sprawling campus of the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, inside the Culinary and Hospitality Center, a building that also accommodates the college's culinary program, the student-run Wheat Cafe and the six-room Inn at Water's Edge hotel.

The large W on the building is the only exterior indication of the restaurant's existence.

The rewards in discovery, however, include one of the most beautiful dining rooms in the western suburbs, an elegant space with Prairie School architecture and an earth-tone palette.

Tables are double-draped in thick, white tablecloths; undulating-pattern carpeting adds visual interest and keeps the noise to a minimum.

Because the culinary program is next door, the assumption is that Waterleaf is student run (indeed, Google Maps declares this to be the case), but though the culinary program does present special student-run dinners on selected Mondays and Tuesdays (when Waterleaf is dark), the restaurant is professionally staffed and, more to the point, professionally run.

The chef is Nadia Tilkian, previously in Clarendon Hills at her very good but underappreciated bistro, Maijean, which closed more than a year ago. Waterleaf is a more upscale and expensive prospect than Maijean, but Tilkian has no trouble upping her game to match the opulent surroundings.

And though most entrees hover between $25 and $30, there's a bargain option in the daily three-course, $35 prix fixe. The selection is limited, granted, but it includes the day's specials, and there's no portion penalty.

The meal starts with a complimentary amuse, and, curiously, the kitchen occasionally stumbles on this. One night in particular I got a forgettable bit of pate on a much-too-large crouton. I can only manufacture so much outrage for a freebie, but inasmuch as the amuse is the chef's opportunity to get the meal off to a strong start, this aspect of the meal could use a bit more attention.

Her menu isn't big on innovation, but excellent-quality ingredients and good execution go a long way, and Tilkian has an eye for plate presentation.

A plump crabcake arrives astride a circle of toasted brioche, alongside an artful smear of tomato aioli. Pieces of bacon-wrapped quail sit next to a potato nest holding shredded celery root and a sunny-side-up quail egg.

A single scallop sits on a narrow, rectangular plate amid a pleasant jumble of cashews, avocado, mint and grapefruit; uniform triangles of chicken liver mousse line up with toast points and, lurking under a petite salad, a tart cherry-balsamic compote.

Heartier starters include braised rabbit gnocchi with mushrooms and long shavings of grana padano cheese. The pork shoulder ravioli is an awkward-looking thing — an oversized square filled to bursting with pork and Parmesan — but it tastes good. The daily risotto — I like that it's available as a starter rather than a main course — is a good bet, judging by the veal shoulder version I sampled.

There are no bad choices among the main courses, but there are a few standouts. Don't pass up the porchetta, presented as a thick slab over a rich pork glace and topped with preserved apples. Seafood matelote (Tilkian deliberately avoided the name "bouillabaisse" to have more control over the ingredients) combines scallops, salmon and mussels (your components might vary) in a wine-and-Pernod-laced broth, with a rouille-smeared crouton spanning the bowl.

Duck breast slices, salted fat cap intact and crusted with cocoa nibs and powder, are my idea of comfort food, and the vanilla-flavored carrot puree underneath makes the dish even more of a hit.

Elsewhere you'll find excellent bass on a bed of northern bean fricassee, and beef short rib topped with tempura long beans over a red-wine sauce with a nice ginger undercurrent.

Even the perfunctory-sounding filet is crowned with a dab of bone-marrow butter and served alongside a flaky potato tart. The pork tenderloin special was overcooked one night, but pinkish pork is still a tough sell in some parts of the world.

Pastry chef Gayle Marcotte offers uncommonly pretty desserts.

Her white forest cake is a nifty turn on the Black Forest standby, her version featuring white cake, kirsch mousse and a vivid cherry sauce.

The thin-layered opera cake, topped with a little white-pepper ice cream, is very good, as is the chocolate tart with raspberry cremeux and orange creme brulee with a hidden chocolate sauce base.

The pumpkin-caramel mousse cake probably isn't long for this world, but the beautiful vanilla Bavarian, standing tall on its chocolate base and crowned with gooseberries, is so good I hope it stays on the menu, in one form or another, for a long time.

Abetting this very enjoyable dining experience is a 150-bottle, globe-trotting wine list; some offerings are at prices beyond even a tenured professor's reach, but there are good values as well.

Cocktails are a surprising strength; young mixologist Cody Slager has a nice future ahead of him.